Kidman will be the festival's first honoree at an Alice Tully Hall event that will include an onstage conversation as well as a screening of Lee Daniels' "The Paperboy." The film, starring Kidman, Zac Efron, John Cusack and Matthew McConaughey, has been added to the main slate for the festival.

In "The Paperboy," Kidman, according to the Film Society, "plays the sultry Florida fiancée of a death row inmate (Cusack). Working with a local journalist (McConaughey), she gets to know the writer's younger brother (Efron), who develops an interest in her." The film, one of the most talked-about entries at Cannes this year, will be released this fall by Millenium Entertainment.

"Nicole Kidman is one of film's finest contemporary actresses," said Peña in a statement. "Since her breakthrough performance in 'To Die For' and her bold and provocative appearances in Lars Von Trier's 'Dogville,' Stanley Kubrick's 'Eyes Wide Shut,' as well as her awarding-winning portrayal of Virginia Woolf in Stephen Daldry's 'The Hours,' Kidman has insisted on finding roles that are complex, bold and demanding. We are excited to honor her with a tribute at the New York Film Festival."

During the second half of NYFF, the festival will salute Peña, who is leaving his role as Film Society program director and head of the fest's selection committee at the end of this year. The 50th NYFF caps his 25-year run as the festival's artistic chief.

These festival tributes were created this year to "celebrate the work of those in film who've made significant artistic contributions to film culture in the past and will continue to do so in the future." Kidman has also been seen on Broadway in The Blue Room.

For more information, visit FilmLinc.com.